``She is Flora Mac-Ivor, sir,'' said Waverley, with firmness, ``which to me, were I capable of treating _any_ woman with levity, would be a more effectual protection.''
The brow of the Chieftain was now fully clouded, but Edward felt too indignant at the unreasonable tone which he had adopted, to avert the storm by the least concession.They both stood still while this short dialogue passed, and Fergus seemed half disposed to say something more violent, but, by a strong effort, suppressed his passion, and turning his face forward, walked sullenly on.As they had always hitherto walked together, and almost constantly side by side, Waverley pursued his course silently in the same direction, determined to let the Chief take his own time in recovering the good-humour which he had so unreasonably discarded, and firm in his resolution not to bate him an inch of dignity.
After they had marched on in this sullen manner about a mile, Fergus resumed the discourse in a different tone.``Ibelieve I was warm, my dear Edward, but you provoke me with your want of knowledge of the world.You have taken pet at some of Flora's prudery, or high-flying notions of loyalty, and now, like a child, you quarrel with the plaything you have been crying for, and beat me, your faithful keeper, because my arm cannot reach to Edinburgh to hand it to you.I am sure if Iwas passionate, the mortification of losing the alliance of such a friend, after your arrangement had been the talk of both Highlands and Lowlands, and that without so much as knowing why or wherefore, might well provoke calmer blood than mine.I shall write to Edinburgh, and put all to rights; that is, if you desire I should do so,---as indeed I cannot suppose that your good opinion of Flora, it being such as you have often expressed to me, can be at once laid aside.''
``Colonel Mac-Ivor,'' said Edward, who had no mind to be hurried farther or faster than he chose, in a matter which he had already considered as broken off, ``I am fully sensible of the value of your good offices; and certainly, by your zeal on my behalf in such an affair, you do me no small honour.But as Miss Mac-Ivor has made her election freely and voluntarily, and as all my attentions in Edinburgh were received with more than coldness, I cannot, in Justice either to her or myself, consent that she should again be harassed upon this topic.I would have mentioned this to you some time since;---but you saw the footing upon which we stood together, and must have understood it.Had I thought otherwise, I would have earlier spoken;but I had a natural reluctance to enter upon a subject so painful to us both.''
``O, very well, Mr.Waverley,'' said Fergus, haughtily, ``the thing is at an end.I have no occasion to press my sister upon any man.''
``Nor have I any occasion to court repeated rejection from the same young lady,'' answered Edward in the same tone.
``I shall make due inquiry, however,'' said the Chieftain, without noticing the interruption, ``and learn what my sister thinks of all this: we will then see whether it is to end here.''
``Respecting such inquiries, you will of course be guided by your own judgment,'' said Waverley.``It is, I am aware, impossible Miss Mac-Ivor can change her mind; and were such an unsupposable case to happen, it is certain I will not change mine.I only mention this to prevent any possibility of future misconstruction.''